What techniques enhance gluten-free vegan cooking?
July 4, 2015 9:01 AM   Subscribe

For the next ten days I'll be caring for a medically challenged friend who follows a gluten-free vegan diet but does not cook himself. This cuisine is new to me. I've looked up numerous recipes--and AskMe has been a trove of information--but I haven't seen much on related cooking techniques. What rules of thumb should I know?

Of course I'll do my best to make my friend (who also has low appetite issues) whatever he wants to eat. I'd like to increase my odds of producing something tasty when the request comes in this format: "There's a dish I love with ingredients A, B and C. Can you make something like that?"

I'm a good cook, but I have few instincts in this realm technique-wise beyond knowing, say, how to stir-fry or grill vegetables. I fear ruining good ingredients because I cut the tofu into pieces that are too large/small or let something dry out/get mushy, etc. and not doing right by my friend.

So are there techniques specific to gluten free or vegan cooking? Bullet-proof recipes or theme-and-variations strategies you use? Are bespoke ingredients like gluten-free pasta boon or bane? Or am I overthinking this plate of beans... Thanks, all!

PS In case it's relevant, my friend suffers from a chronic, degenerative condition so there won't be any pertinent one-time medical concerns like those associated with, say, recovering from surgery. Going to a restaurant is a major event, so we won't do that every day although I'm happy to fetch takeout if he's hungry for something. He feels this diet is helping him and I take that at face value.
posted by carmicha to Food & Drink (16 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
If you skip soy sauce (but some brands are gluten free), then most Asian cuisine is gluten-free. If you start from that position, it's pretty easy, and you don't need fancy ingredients and such.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:19 AM on July 4, 2015


A general tip - anything that *doesn't* have to be adapted to the restrictions is probably going to taste better than anything that *does*. So finding veggie/grain recipes that are intended to be cooked without butter or dairy is the best use of your time, followed by finding reliable, tested recipes that have those adaptations. Like Cool Papa Bell says, picking a cuisine that makes sense is a good start!

Gluten-free pasta is variable - I've had better luck with the refrigerated stuff you can get at Whole Foods than the boxed stuff in general, but there is quite decent boxed stuff. Me, I think the corn-based stuff has a weird taste, but the texture of mostly-rice pasta is odd too. Cooking it is no different than regular pasta, just go by the cook time indicated on the package.

Soy sauce is in far too many things if you're trying to avoid gluten, which is worth noting if you end up getting restaurant (or prepared) food. Gluten-free soy sauce works fine, though make sure you taste it and adjust - tamari is much stronger in flavor than regular soy sauce, and that's the most common gluten-free sub.

(I don't have a ton of recipe suggestions because while we are gluten- and variably dairy-free, we are so very not vegan.)
posted by restless_nomad at 9:25 AM on July 4, 2015 [2 favorites]


I'm gluten-free and vegetarian and I think the best way to approach this is to look at cuisines that fit the mold rather than trying to modify things, though there are some very good gluten-free pastas out there - I like Tinkyada. I suggest Indian and Mexican, since these are beans and rice based. As Cool Papa Bell said, if you check soy sauce and the like and get the gluten-free brand (and your friend can have soy) a lot of Asian cuisines are very accessible. I would also be careful about any kind of vegan protein other than tofu, since a lot of it is made with wheat.

My current favorite cookbook is Nicky Garratt's Mango & Mint, which is all vegan and a lot is gluten-free. If you and your friend like Indian / North African / Arabian food, this cookbook is an absolute delight and very easy to use. If you're looking for online resources, try Kittee Berns' blog, she is a gluten-free vegan and all-around kitchen badass with a large archive of recipes, though be aware that not everything in the archive is gluten-free.
posted by bile and syntax at 9:30 AM on July 4, 2015 [3 favorites]


I think you are overthinking. My husband had a strong "ruining" phobia too until I finally started pointing out all the things *I* made that were messed up but still edible food. Unless I have an irreversible spilling accident with vinegar or salt, or the food is actual charcoal, we eat it. Not every meal is going to be a big winner.

Have a basic understanding of what gluten is, and you may want to read up on the words you find in ingredient lists to watch for. That goes for animal products as well. In the US, there's voluntary labeling standards that put the words CONTAINS: [ALLERGEN] in bold print after the ingredient list. If this says WHEAT or EGGS or MILK, you can put it back right then, otherwise read on and make sure you understand what is and isn't there.

There's also voluntary certification processes for displaying a GF or V emblem. As long as you have a passing understanding of items that might contain wheat or animal products and know to look for the ones that don't, you can successfully navigate packaged food ingredients. If you lean to cooking from whole ingredients (fresh produce, single-ingredient frozen vegetables, rice and gluten-free grains) it's easier to be sure. That's generally healthier overall from a sodium and fat perspective, but yes absolutely if your friend likes pasta or cake or whatever, use gluten-free options to make those happen.

Ask your friend what his 10-20 favorite meals and snacks are. Research those to find recipes you understand and feel comfortable trying out, review them and plan substitutions for animal products or wheat. The internet is your operating manual, you will be able to find a GF/vegan version of just about anything. (My power ingredient these days is Just Mayo, which is way cheaper than Veganaise and tastes exactly like egg mayo. I use it for dressings and in lieu of sour cream.)

Here's an easy meal to try: My husband learned to cook from Blue Apron (which might be an option for you, at least with only minor modifications), and the first recipe he clicked with and started re-making on his own all the time (and I now demand routinely) is this Mustard Tofu with Potatoes and Broccoli. We just get regular fingerling potatoes or skip them and make double broccoli because it's so good with the mustard sauce.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:34 AM on July 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


The most often given tip about tofu is that freezing firm tofu first, then cooking it, gives the most desirable (least slippery) texture.
posted by puddledork at 9:47 AM on July 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


Many Indian dishes are vegan if you don't use butter. I'm pretty sure they're gluten free, too, if you serve with rice.
posted by redlines at 11:20 AM on July 4, 2015


Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and focus as much as possible on fresh fruit and vegetables. Sometimes Paleo blogs also have some interesting ideas, since they tend to go for gluten free as well. I like Vietnamese cuisine, as long as I stay away from the fish sauce, it is very easy to tailor towards being gluten-free. They use rice noodles and paper for many preparations, so it's much easier to eat.
posted by yueliang at 12:22 PM on July 4, 2015


I avoid gluten, dairy, and eggs for personal health reasons, and eat pretty well. I'm not vegan but I do eat a lot of vegan meals. Is your friend new to this diet or have they been eating this way for a while? If they're used to it and just less capable of fending for themself right now, ask them what they like to eat and aim for that rather than starting from zero.

There aren't any specific techniques for vegan food that I can think of. Since you have some cooking experience in general you're probably fine. Focus on 1) getting tasty meals based on fruits and veggies onto the table and 2) getting calories into your friend, because having no appetite is horrible and can lead to a positive feedback loop of worse-than-usual health days. Also, try to not take it personally when low appetite strikes on a day when you've put a lot of effort into the food (which is harder than it sounds, believe me).

Stir-fries or other asian food is a good start. As other people have stated, buy wheat-free tamari and use that instead of soy sauce.Veggie sushi tends to be gf/vegan and is very snackable, which might help in terms of low appetite. Edamame too. Fresh rolls/summer rolls are great and you can put pretty much anything in them. Be careful with some imported ingredients like miso--sometimes there's translation issues in the ingredient lists. Laura Russell has a cookbook called The Gluten Free Asian Kitchen that has a really helpful chart that lists common Asian ingredients, brands that are confirmed gluten-free, and brands that do not list any gluten free ingredients. If I'd had this book a couple years ago I would not have run into the miso problem. It's not a vegan cookbook but it's great for sauces and things like that.

For gluten free pasta, I buy Jovial brand or Barilla gluten free. They have the texture and taste most like wheat pasta. I've heard good things about the fresh/refrigerated gluten free pastas as well, but the only ones I've seen have egg in them. Barilla's a little squishier, Jovial's a little toothier. Just like with regular pasta, the timing listed on the box might lead to overcooking--make sure you test it a couple minutes early. I like having gluten free pasta because it opens up the fresh veg + pasta + tasty oil options a whole bunch. Related: if your friend craves butter, Earth Balance is a godsend.

Let's talk snacks! When someone has a low appetite (ok, when I have a low appetite) having some of these around is a Really Good Idea. Lucy's cookies are available in most grocery stores I think, and are surprisingly good. My favorite's the chocolate chip. Larabars are gluten free, vegan, and calorie-dense. I like the cherry pie and chocolate chip cherry torte flavors, but there's a ton of options. This isn't especially healthy, but I also eat a lot of corn chips and salsa or guacamole.
posted by mismatched at 12:43 PM on July 4, 2015


Learn to properly caramelize onions. It is amazing how much better dishes taste, with the sweetness of onions cooked correctly. Lately I've been throwing them in the food processor after cooking them, making them into a paste that helps thicken sauces. Just insanely good.

Tofu is tricky. It's supposed to be fairly gelatinous, but so many of us want it to have a slightly meaty texture, so it really needs to be dried first. You can try the freezing trick above, or slice it into half-inch thick slices and dry fry it (just in a pan with no oil) until sufficient liquid boils off, then flip it and fry a little longer. When I'm short on time--which is always, these days--I actually just take the cake of tofu, slit it nearly all the way through at half- or three-quarter-inch increments, and then microwave it in a bowl. Depending on the microwave, two to three rounds of three minutes at a time should cook out the water, allowing you to pour it off and return it to the microwave for the next round. Then toss it into a marinade if you want it to soak up some flavor first, or toss it in the pan to fry it, or whatever. The general theory is, though, that the toothsome texture comes from drying first.

You already know mushrooms exist, of course, but they also are good having been sauteed into submission then thrown into the food processor (with some of the onions, above), for a very savory sauce. Basically, if a food tastes good, it tastes even better after cooking for a long time then pureeing.

Cauliflower is surprising. It turns out to be quite versatile in gluten-free cooking. I've been making a pizza crust from it that is excellent...but it uses eggs and chevre to make it go. But here is a vegan version that uses a chia egg replacement! (I generally shy away from bread replacements, but seriously, it's very tasty.)

The great thing about vegan cooking is, it's hard to really go wrong, as long as you're sort of tasting as you go. Drying out is fine, because you can always add a little moisture. Mushy is fine, because you can always add a dryer ingredient, rice or something. Just don't, y'know, walk away from the stove and accidentally burn a pot full of cauliflower rice like I did this week.
posted by mittens at 1:18 PM on July 4, 2015


It is amazing how much better dishes taste, with the sweetness of onions cooked correctly.

One of the shortcomings of a lot of vegan food (to me) is the lack of browned flavor that you get from seared meats, or things like caramelized onion. My addiction this summer is zucchini planks (about 1/2" thick at the thinnest makes a silky texture, go 1"+ to leave a little al dente in it) seared if not blackened on the grill, and a year-round craving for me - even unsustainably-imported from South America in the summer - is brussels sprouts just absolutely burnt on the outside, either on the grill or in the oven or in a blazing hot cast iron pan.

So if you're looking to add the little flairs that boost flavor, learn to brown some of your components. Get some crust on potatoes, squash (summer and winter), eggplant, mushrooms, sweet or hot peppers. You can even sear or grill cabbage and lettuces. Roast tomato halves until they're about half-dried. Learn to toast spices, as in most Southeast Asian dishes. Roast vegetables hard - let carrots get a little color, roast broccoli and cauliflower tossed in oil until lightly burned, and then toss in lemon juice.

And finish dishes with delicate flavors that can't take heat. Most green herbs can't take being cooked for any length of time, so save your chives and basil and parsley until plating. Hit things with a spritz of lemon or lime (or sumac) or vinegar. Taste for salt. These are things restaurants do to up the palate appeal of their dishes.

But you might also bone up on extremely basic "get nutrients in as efficiently as possible" strategies, look into vegan protein powders and how to make smoothies that get the most bang for the least amount of eating, for when he's really not feeling it but needs nutrition. It's harder to do without dairy, so you kind of have to be prepped in advance.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:00 PM on July 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


Gah, and my final point: milk can be replaced in 99% of recipes (buttermilk used for chemistry purposes is the tricky one) with coconut (carton or can) or almond milk, without being able to tell the difference. Sometimes a body just wants some pudding or rice pudding or creamy oatmeal, plus it works great in curries or for making a dairy-free bechamel base for casseroles or rich sauces.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:03 PM on July 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: These are all really helpful responses! My friend's wife does the cooking and now I'll be able to ask substantially better questions during few hours we'll overlap before she leaves town. I'm much less intimidated now, thanks to you. But more information is better, so any other points that occur to people are welcome!
posted by carmicha at 4:51 PM on July 4, 2015


One thing I LOVE is mashed potatoes with Earth Balance fake butter. Sweet lord that stuff is almost exactly like butter. My local grocery store has a couple aisles of gluten free/vegan/organic stuff and that's where I find that. So, that's my one big tip since it's vegan and so much like butter. It's even good for snacking on (gluten free) crackers or whatever.

Also, sauces. There's many tomato-based sauces that can be added to something like a rice or quinoa dish that make it seem like good-ol' comfort food. For a creamy sauce you can add or start with coconut milk. (I personally make seasoned quinoa - make it with vegetable broth - and ground turkey with marinara. You could do scrambled Italian seasoned tofu in place of turkey.) I also think crumbled or scrambled tofu is a good way to go anyway as it tends to soak up the flavor more.

I've been gluten free and dairy free for over a year now due to tummy issues.
posted by Crystalinne at 7:30 PM on July 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


If your friend likes Indian food, many recipes are or can easily be adapted to be vegan and gluten free.

Check with your friend about oats - many coeliacs cannot have oats at all because they are sensitive to a protein in them that is similar to gluten, and most others avoid them because of cross-contamination issues. However, if your friend can tolerate them, gooey flapjacks filled with dried fruit and seeds is a great and very tempting ways to get huge amounts of calories in.

I'm a huge fan of lentils and beans - maybe as a spiced dal, or a bean and vegetable soup with smoked paprika.

Nuts are going to be a great source of vegan protein. I like doing vegetable stir-fry with toasted cashew nuts, rice noodles and a whole load of veg. I tent to use oyster sauce, which won't work for you. Maybe miso, ginger, garlic and chilli?
posted by kadia_a at 9:23 AM on July 5, 2015


Lyn Never's point about bechamel made me remember an article about making vegan versions of the mother sauces.
posted by mittens at 12:31 PM on July 5, 2015


RE: the person above who mentions browning-- +a milli to that! Get yourself some Braggs liquid aminos and use that in addition whenever browning stuff; they are similar to soy sauce but less salty, and provide a nice umami taste.

Several people have mentioned Indian or Asian cuisine as having many naturally vegan/gf options; I will also say that while most people associate mexican cuisine with masses of cheese, it's actually very adaptable. Make veggie versions of things and leave off the cheese, use avocado to add a bit of fattiness to it (or if you're feeling fancy, silken tofu blended with a touch of lime juice, cumin and salt makes a nice alternative to crema).
posted by shaka_lulu at 10:49 AM on July 7, 2015


« Older Programming a temporary home alarm system passcode...   |   Need some help buying stuff in Krakow on a Sunday Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.